Set against a backdrop of poverty, "Kisses for Laura" takes us to a time in America's history when the future seemed to promise little. Seen through the eyes of a child, however, small details loom large, and almost anything is possible. This is a story of hope, written with clarity and empathy for a girl who is wryly self-aware of her own foibles. In true Dickensian spirit, it might be called an update on A Christmas Carol. -Judith Kitchen, author of "The House on Eccles Road"